Engineer Alula Habteab, Head of the Bureau of Construction, Road and Transport in the Abiy-Ahmed-installed puppet interim administration of Tigray said, in a press briefing, that Ethiopian Defence Forces, Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara Forces have completely destroyed Tigray’s 30-year development work.
Alula Habteab said that although it is understood that war results in destruction, the war on Tigray was unique and historically unprecedented for its degree of destruction in a short time. He said that, in addition to the destruction by the war, forces from a neighboring country [Eritrea] and a neighboring region [Amhara] have come in, taking advantage of the war, and caused more destruction than the destruction caused by the war itself. Alula added that Eritrean forces have destroyed all factories across the region all the way up to the city of Wukro. He particularly said that Almeda Textile Factory, Addis Pharmaceutical Factory, Adigrat University, Aksum University have been completely destroyed. He said “almost all of Tigray’s 30-year-long developmental progress have been wiped out”.
Alula Habteab also said cement, equipments including trucks and machineries belonging to construction companies that were operating in Tigray have been looted and taken to different places.
He also said the Ethiopian Federal Defence Forces confiscated property belonging to the Tigray Government, EFFORT as well as property belonging to civilian individuals, citing that what is found during a war must be confiscated. According to him, cars and trucks have been transported to Amhara region, Addis Abeba and Eritrea where most of the vehicles are being sold. He stated that just from Mekelle and the surrounding areas alone 4200 cars and machinery are missing. Some were burnt, some taken to Eritrea, some to the Amhara region, some to Addis Abeba and some remain under the control of the ENDF. He added that this assessment does not include other zones, and that they cannot access western and southern zones of Tigray.
Speaking about cooperation from the federal government, he appreciated humanitarian assistance, but said a lot remains. He said part of the budget for Tigray has been withheld for more than three years, and that their request to get that budget reinstated has not been addressed.
Talking about humanitarian aid, Alula Habteab said that the categories of people who need aid in Tigray are unusual and include professors, lecturers, contractor’s and investors who aren’t the usual category of citizens expected to need aid.
The video was first posted on Fana Broadcasting Corporate’s Facebook Page on 26 February 2020. But, it was apparently removed on 27 February.
Debrai Andehanes
March 1, 2021 at 6:11 am
Yes, engineer Alula Habteab is right that the Ethiopian Army, Amhara forces, and Eritrean Army have destroyed Tigria’s 30years development. But let us not be fooled by this contrived, seemingly nationalistic initial statement he posed. Instead, if we carefully read between the lines of what he further said, we find arguments deliberately designed to save the face of his Master, Prosperity Party. For example, if we Look Carefully at the following statement he made, he said, ” forces from a neighboring country Eritrea and the neighboring region Amhara have come in taking advantage of the war and caused more destruction than the war; itself.” This Banda is trying to tell us that the neighboring forces join the war uninvited and committed most of the atrocities. Finally, I will ask the engineer how about the drones; although you deliberately did say nothing about them did they participate in the war uninvited?.